Support for Immigration in Canada Drops to Lowest Levels in Decades: Poll

Travellers make their way through Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Nov. 14, 2022. The Canadian Press/Cole Burston

For the first time in a quarter century, a definitive majority of Canadians say immigration levels are too high, marking a rise in this sentiment for the second year running, a new poll has found.

Fifty-eight percent of those polled said the current immigration rate is excessive, up 14 percentage points from last year, according to a survey from the Environics Institute. This increase follows a 17 percent rise recorded between 2022 and 2023.

“This is the most rapid change over a two-year period since Focus Canada began asking this question in 1977, and reflects the largest proportion of Canadians who say there is too much immigration since 1998,” Environics said.

“The latest findings suggest the balance of public opinion about the volume of immigration currently being admitted into the country has effectively flipped from being acceptable (if not valuable) to problematic.”

The trend of dissatisfaction with current immigration levels is evident across the country, but is particularly pronounced in the Prairie provinces, rising 34 percentage points in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to 68 percent, and 17 points in Alberta to 63 percent, the survey said.

The sentiment was the same in Ontario, rising 13 points since last year to 63 percent. While Quebec follows the nationwide trend, it does so at a much slower rate, rising 9 points to 46 percent.

Immigration Management

Immigrants with specialized skills and those with a good education who settle permanently are still welcomed by most Canadians, the survey found, but temporary foreign workers and international students were not seen in the same positive light.

Public judgment about too much immigration continues to be driven by concerns about housing availability and affordability, but also by the state of the economy, the potential strain on public finances, and how the immigration system is being managed, Environics said.

“The most notable change from a year ago is an increase in the proportion who believe there is too much immigration because it is being poorly managed by government,” the report said, noting that 57 percent of those polled said too many immigrants are not adopting Canadian values.

“Along with rising concerns about immigration levels, an increasing number of Canadians are expressing doubts about who is being admitted to the country and how well they are integrating into Canadian society.”

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Marc Miller described immigration as “essential” for the country’s economy, but acknowledged Canadian concerns about how the system is run.

“What we hear from Canadians isn’t that they dislike immigrants,” the ministry spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “What we hear is that they want an immigration system that is well-managed and sustainable. A system that sets Canada—and all who come here—up for success. That’s what we want too.”

Miller will table the government’s 2025-2027 immigration levels plan Nov. 1. The document will focus on aligning the number of newcomers to the resources Canada has to support them, and welcoming people with the skills needed by the Canadian labour market, the statement said.

“We are strengthening our existing programs, to grow our population sustainably and to continue pursuing important humanitarian and family reunification goals in a responsible manner,” the spokesperson added.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government responded to increasing criticism of its immigration policies earlier this year by implementing a cap on the number of international students admitted to the country. The government has also imposed restrictions on the employment of foreign workers and has promised to introduce targets for temporary residents for the first time, in addition to the existing cap on permanent residents.

Ottawa has said it plans to accept 485,000 new permanent residents this year and increase that level to 500,000 in 2025, a figure that will be maintained in 2026. It also plans to decrease the number of temporary residents from 6.5 percent of Canada’s total population to 5 percent over the next three years.

The number of temporary foreign workers coming to Canada has more than doubled in recent years, increasing from 437,000 in 2019 to more than 1.2 million last year.

An increasing number of Canadians—43 percent—also expressed concern that many of the people applying for refugee status do not have legitimate claims. The response reflects a notable uptick in concern following years of stability, the report said, noting that the sentiments were shared equally by white and non-white Canadians.

Agreement about some refugees not being legitimate has increased 10 percentage points in Ontario to 48 percent, 14 points in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to 44 percent, and 14 points in Alberta to 54 percent.

Percentages also rose in Quebec—up two points to 38 percent—and in B.C. where the percentage rose by three points to 36 percent. Atlantic Canada was the only region to see a decrease, falling two points to 31 percent.